If you love retro tech, this concept design will be right up your street.
It includes a tape deck, a record player and storage for both formats.
Have you ever dreamed of a stylish, modern hi-fi solution, which incorporates a record player and a tape deck, complete with storage for both? Well, if you thought that was a unicorn product, think again.
A Swedish artist called Love Hulten has just unveiled a conceptual piece which does exactly that. And as you might have guessed from an art piece designed to incorporate a lot of different aspects, it looks absolutely wild.
To anyone else, the design looks like someones taken a chunk of an old audio console and wedged it atop a retro barstool. Personally, though, I can't help but draw a visual comparison to the equally space-age synthesiser depicted on the cover of the Enter Shikari album, The Spark.
The most visually striking aspect of the piece is the turntable. That's mounted vertically on the top panel, which makes for a really interesting appearance.
On the base of the unit is the tape deck. That allows users to play their cassettes, as well as offering storage for up to 16 others for quick access.
If you're thinking that vinyl storage has been neglected here, think again. The top plate reveals a hidden storage section for up to 12 records. That's also on a mechanical lift, which is a neat addition.
Of course, there's no pricing for this, as it's a one-off piece, but I can't help but feel impressed. It might not be the most practical design ever, but it really does look great, and offers the kind of all-in-one solution which is sorely lacking in the current hi-fi arena.
If nothing else, I hope it can inspire some more experimental retro design. A unit like this would fit in well with the current wave of retro tech, and could offer a more premium option for those who want something stylish and feature-packed, but not entry-level.
